Silver Statuette of St. Bartholomew, from the "Wittenberg Reliquaries"
Original title: Silver Statuette of St. Bartholomew, from the "Wittenberg Reliquaries"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike related depictions of saints, this sheet by Lucas Cranach the Elder presents Saint Bartholomew not as a living figure but as a silver statuette on a pedestal. It belongs to the series of Wittenberg relics and was made around 1509. Religious iconography and the rendering of a precious art object come together here.
Description
Saint Bartholomew stands frontally on a pedestal, wearing a long robe heavy with folds. A book rests in his right hand, while the left is slightly raised, as if about to explain something. A halo surrounds his head and underscores his holiness. Beneath the pedestal appears a coat-of-arms-like device, marking the reliquary as part of the Wittenberg collection.
Context
The woodcuts of the Wittenberg relics go back to a commission from Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, who built up a substantial relic collection in the castle church at Wittenberg. Lucas Cranach the Elder worked as court painter in Wittenberg from 1505 and produced the prints for the publication issued in 1509. The series documented more than 500 relics together with their sumptuous containers, among the most important treasures of the Reformation era.
Impact
The saint comes across as calm and dignified, carried by clear linework and the halo. Set on its pedestal, the statuette feels remote and yet commands reverence, drawing the eye to the object's sacred character. The delicate details of the robe's folds and the coat of arms attest to a skilled reproduction of the reliquary.
Technique
For this woodcut the design was cut into a block and afterwards printed on paper. Fine lines and hatching yield a detailed rendering of the fabric's texture and the halo. The sheet measures 13.1 × 6 cm and belongs to a series gathered together in a book.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)